A Trial of the Effect of CVL-865 on Panic Symptoms Induced by Carbon Dioxide Inhalation in Healthy Subjects

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo- and Active Comparator-controlled, Crossover Trial to Examine the Effect of Multiple Doses of CVL-865 on Panic Symptoms Induced by Carbon Dioxide Inhalation in Healthy Subject

The purpose of this study is to determine anxiolytic effect of multiple doses of CVL-865 using an experimental medicine model of carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation in healthy volunteers.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Panic Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: CVL-865 High dose; Drug: CVL-865 low dose; Drug: Alprazolam 1mg XR; Drug: Placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 56
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Zernikedreef 8
    • Leiden, Zernikedreef 8, Netherlands, 2333 CL
      • Centre for Human Drug Research

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 53 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy male and female subjects, ages 18 to 55 years, inclusive, at the time of signing the ICF. Healthy is defined as no clinically relevant abnormalities identified by a detailed medical history, full physical examination, including blood pressure and heart rate measurement, 12-lead ECG, and clinical laboratory tests, as evaluated by the investigator.
• Body mass index of 18.5 to 30.0 kg/m2, inclusive, and a total body weight >50 kg (110 lbs)
• A female subject of childbearing potential who is sexually active with a nonsterilized male partner must agree to use a highly effective method of contraception from signing of informed consent and for 30 days post last dose. A male subject with a pregnant or a nonpregnant partner of childbearing potential must agree to use condom during treatment and until the end of relevant systemic exposure in the male subject for 94 days following the last dose with IMP.
• Capable of giving signed informed consent
• Ability, in the opinion of the investigator, to understand the nature of the trial and comply with protocol requirements, including the prescribed dosage regimens, scheduled visits, laboratory tests, and other trial procedures.
• Defined as sensitive to the anxiogenic effects of double-breath CO2 inhalation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with a current history of clinically significant cardiovascular pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, metabolic, hematological, immunological, or neurological disease.
• Subjects with a current or past history of clinically significant respiratory conditions
• Subject with a personal or family history of sickle cell anemia
• Subject with a personal or family history of cerebral aneurysm
• Subjects with a clinically significant current or past personal or family history of any psychiatric disorder as classified by DSM-4 or DSM-5 criteria
• Subjects with epilepsy or a history of seizures except for a single seizure episode
• Subjects with a history of substance or alcohol-use disorder (DSM-5 criteria)
• Subjects who answer "Yes" on the C-SSRS Suicidal Ideation Item 4, 5 and whose most recent episode meeting criteria for this C-SSRS Item 4, 5 occurred within the last 6 months
• Subjects who, in the opinion of the investigator, present a serious risk of suicide
• Subjects with human immunodeficiency virus seropositive status or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, chronic hepatitis B or C (defined as positive serology and aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase elevated to >2 × ULN)
• Subject with a positive drug screen for illicit drugs

• Subjects with a 12-lead ECG demonstrating either of the following:

  • QT interval corrected for heart rate using Fridericia's formula >450 msec (average of 3 ECGs obtained at the Screening Visit)
  • QRS interval >120 msec at the Screening Visit

• Subjects with any of the following abnormalities in clinical laboratory tests at the Screening Visit, as assessed by the local laboratory and confirmed by a single repeat measurement, if deemed necessary:

  • AST or ALT ≥2 × ULN
  • Total bilirubin ≥1.5 × ULN. Subjects with a history of Gilbert's syndrome may be eligible provided the direct bilirubin is <ULN
  • Females: Hemoglobin <11 g/dL; Males: hemoglobin <12 g/dL
  • White blood cell count <3.0 × 109/L
  • Neutrophil count <2.0 × 109/L
  • Platelet count <150 × 109/L
• Subjects with other abnormal laboratory test results, vital sign results, or ECG findings unless, based on the investigator's judgment, the findings are not medically significant
• Systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg at Screening or Day -1
• Subjects taking prohibited medication or who would be likely to require prohibited concomitant therapy
• Subject has a current or past history of BZD abuse and/or dependence
• Female subjects who are breastfeeding and/or who have a positive pregnancy test result prior to receiving IMP
• Subjects who currently use or have used tobacco or nicotine-containing products within 30 days prior to signing the ICF. Subjects who test positive for urine cotinine
• Subjects who has a history of consuming foods or beverages containing >8 units of methylxanthines per day and refuses to abstain from consumption of methylxanthine containing food and beverages while in the clinic.
• Subjects with any condition possibly affecting drug absorption
• Subjects with difficulty swallowing
• Subjects who are known to be allergic or hypersensitive to the IMP or any of its components
• Subjects with a known sensitivity or contraindication to alprazolam
• Subjects who have participated in any clinical trial within 90 days prior to signing the ICF.
• Subjects who have demonstrated a non-response to 35% CO2 double inhalation challenge in a previous trial.
• Any subject who, in the opinion of the sponsor, investigator, or medical monitor, should not participate in the trial
• Subjects with a positive SARS-CoV-2 quantitative PCR test result at Day -1, Period 1 are excluded. Results from subjects reporting a positive SARS-CoV-2 quantitative PCR test result prior to Day -1, Period need to be discussed with the sponsor/medical monitor prior to enrolment of the subject into the trial

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CVL-865; High dose CVL-865 (25mg) Low dose CVL-865 (7.5mg)	Drug: CVL-865 High dose; High dose CVL-865: Will be administered as 5mg BID for 2 days followed by 12.5mg BID for another 2 days during the Titration Phase. 25mg will be administered during the Maintenance Phase (3 days of BID and morning dose only on the 4th day); Drug: CVL-865 low dose; Low dose CVL-865, oral tablets. Will be administered as 2.5mg BID for 2 days followed by 5mg BID for another 2 days during the Titration Phase. 7.5mg BID will be administered during the Maintenance Phase (3 days of BID and morning dose only on 4th day)
Active Comparator: Alprazolam; Active Comparator Alprazolam with extended release oral tablets; 1 tablet BID	Drug: Alprazolam 1mg XR; Alprazolam 1mg XR will be administered for 8 days BID (morning dose only on 8th day)
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Placebo Comparator matching oral tablets for CVL-865, capsule for Alprazolam	Drug: Placebo; Placebo, oral tablet/capsule will be administered for 8 days BID (morning dose only on 8th day)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
PSL-IV score	Change in Panic Symptom List -IV (PSL-IV), a questionnaire including 13 symptoms, each with intensity rating from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very intense), from pre-CO2 to Post CO2 challenge value	up to Day 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VAS Fear score	Change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) value for fear, consisting of a horizontal line 100 mm in length with 0 corresponding to "no fear" and 100 corresponding to "the most fear possible", from pre-CO2 to Post CO2 challenge	up to Day 8
CO2 challenge	Change from pre-CO2 to post-CO2 challenge values in Finapres NanoCore Physiological Measurements	Screening, Day 1, Day 8
Treatment-emergent AEs	Treatment-emergent AEs	From screening to Follow-up Visit
Suicidality assessed using Columbia - Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)	Suicidality assessed using Columbia - Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) with no/yes (0/1) to each interview question on the occurrence of suicide events or ideation.	Screening, Day -1, Day 8
CVL-865 (and alprazolam, if appropriate) concentrations		Day 8
Change From Baseline in NeuroCart test battery Score	Psychodynamic effects of CVL-865 will be assessed by means of the NeuroCart test battery (including saccadic eye movements, adaptive tracking, body sway, Quantitative EEG)	Screening, Day 1, Day 8
Change from Baseline in Bond & Lader Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)	Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) is made up of 16 pairs of alternative descriptors of mood and attention at either end. The Bond-Lader of a 10 cm line. Participants will rate their feelings at the time of assessment by indicating the point on the line which best represent their mood. Each item is scored by measuring the position relative to the left hand end of the line and levels of anxiety, sedation, and dysphoria are then calculated from the combined scores of selected items. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with a high score reflecting a high level of anxiety, sedation or dysphoria.	Day 1, Day 8

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cerevel Therapeutics, LLC
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gabriel Etienne Jacobs, PhD, MD, Centre for Human Drug Research

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

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Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 6, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 14, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): December 13, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 29, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 16, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): October 19, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 11, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2022
• Last Verified: January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Anxiety; Healthy Subjects; Hypercapnia; Panic; CVL-865; PF-06372865; CO2 challenge
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Panic Disorder; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Central Nervous System Depressants; Tranquilizing Agents; Psychotropic Drugs; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Anti-Anxiety Agents; GABA Modulators; GABA Agents; Alprazolam
• Other Study ID Numbers: CVL-865-HV-001

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No